The many residents of Robert Altman's "Short Cuts" do so much more than
that: they lie, cheat, steal, kill, ache, long, burn-out, shine bright,
fade in the background, sing, dance, drink, make love, screw, shout,
scream, fight, and purge their souls-though few ever really listen or
watch closely.
"Short Cuts" is arguably Altman's finest film (with nods to "MASH,"
"Nashville," "The Player," and "Gosford Park"). It's also probably the
best of the sub-genre of intertwining vignette films, the overlapping
mosaics that Altman trail-blazed. It's odd, because had I seen "Short
Cuts" before I viewed P.T. Anderson's "Magnolia" (which I loved upon
first view but not so much the second time around), I would've realized
that film was an eerie knockoff of this Altman classic--right down to
the casting of Julianne Moore and Jack Lemmon. "Magnolia" is full of
nervousness, operatic melodrama, and ham-fisted symbolism, whereas
"Short Cuts" is full of smooth transitions, hyper-realism, and keen
insights into human behavior. I'll take the earthquake at the end of
"Short Cuts" over the raining frogs of "Magnolia" any day.
Altman's film runs well over three hours and features nearly twenty
main characters. As such, it's one of those movies where everyone will
have their personal favorite bits and characters. I found Lori Singer's
cello playing daughter of a booze-hound jazz singer, Anne Archer's
empathy riddled clown, and Frances McDormand's young son who insists on
telling everyone about how he feels about his toys (which are showered
on him in the absence of real love) though no one ever pays him any
direct attention, to be the most compelling. There's also some great
bits involving a dog and Tim Robbin's adulterous cop, and a hilariously
disturbing mix up at a photo hut involving Lilly Taylor and a
fisherman.
With Mr. Altman now passed, one wonders, will anyone ever be able to
make a film like this again? Surely not. "Short Cuts" is nothing short
of a masterpiece and a testament to Altman's unique brand of
film-making and humanistic view of the misanthropic world he inhabited.
Review of Short Cuts
Short Cuts
(1993)
"I Hate LA...all they do here is snort coke and talk."
19 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers